PART TWO: Pages And Prophets
by Jackrabbit2011
Summary: I was in charge- for the first time ever, he couldn't say no to me. And what I chose brought an angry librarian wielding a hefty book charging right at him...
1. The Elders of Sky

**PART TWO: PAGES AND PROPHETS**

**Pronunciation: 'Fli'- flea**

**Kiiri- kih-ree- (like kiri)**

**Ietia- ee-esh-ea**

**A/N: Rather like this one as well… but, then again, I wouldn't be writing about a planet that I didn't like, would I? Hmm…**

**Summary: Doctor, this is why you return books ON TIME. I don't blame Angie for whacking you with that book at all, but then again the Great Wise Birds did tell me that this would happen…**

**Two: The Elders of Sky**

**Rose- **

My cousin used to say that I never thought enough. Obviously, my mum disagreed- even now, she's still just as protective- but she's just the same as I am; we both act before we think.

So I thought- what about a planet where they thought a lot? Maybe it'd give me a push to start thinking about what came out of my big mouth _before_ it did. I'd probably offend less people that way.

* * * * *

"Perfect, Tyler!" The Doctor grinned appreciatively as Rose told him where to go. "Just what you need- some out-of-earth philosophy."

"So where are we going?" Rose asked, laughing.

"I think it's time I paid a visit to my old mates, the Fli." He said without looking up, his attention fixed on the screen in front of him.

"You're taking me to see fleas?" Rose repeated, slightly miffed. The Doctor shot her an odd look, as if she'd just asked him what colour an orange was.

"What're you on about, girl?" he asked, shaking his head. "I'm taking you to meet the _Fli_."

_Oh… because that's completely different_. Rose thought sarcastically. "And I'm supposed to know the difference- how?" she asked aloud.

The Doctor ignored her.

****

"The planet Sky- home to the Fli; the oldest and wisest race in the universe- apart from the Time Lords that is."

Rose snorted. "You're nothing if not modest and humble, Doctor."

The Doctor's eyebrows rose, disappearing under the hairline of his hectic hair. "Was that the use of sarcasm I detected just then, Miss Tyler?"

"Could've been." She said tartly and looked past her friends arm, out into the world that they'd landed on. She was momentarily overtaken by a wave of vertigo sweeping over her at the vast expanse of blue sky that greeted her eyes.

Past the TARDIS doors was only bright, utterly blue sky, filling her vision completely- Rose's immediate reaction was that they were floating, but then she looked down in the general direction of the ground, and saw that there was indeed some solid earth- just not very much of it.

"Sky- almost literally solid air." The Doctor explained. "Sky used to be a small rock- about the same size as the moon- encased in an atmosphere that was more than double its size.

Rose nodded to show that she was following, urging him to continue.

"Then, around about eighteen and a half billion years ago"-

"Whoa." Rose muttered.

"- Sky's atmosphere caused the rock in its centre to crumble- most of it became dust and rock particles that eventually got broken down into pure carbon, which became gases- but some of the more tightly compacted rock chunks stayed together, and remained drifting around in Sky's atmosphere- rather like bubbles in water."

"So, technically, we're floating." Rose mused aloud- the Doctor nodded.

"Well, if we're going to be technical about it, every planet's floating in its atmosphere"-

"Spare me, science geek." Rose interrupted, making the Doctor glare. "I've suffered through ten years of science and have the failed GCSE to prove it- I don't need any more wasted lectures."

The Doctor shot her a hurt look- it made Rose fee slightly guilty, until it disappeared seconds later as his usual loopy grin returned. He shrugged. "You humans; not appreciation for science- fools-"

"_Anyway_." Rose cut him off before he could begin some epic ramble that she'd never stop. "You were explaining about Sky…" she prompted.

"Huh? Oh! Right," a half-crazed grin replaced the blank look as he launched into the next ramble. "Sky; hardly any land- which is great for the Fli, because of their body structures- and mostly air. The Fli sort of 'live'- hmm, maybe 'nest' would be a better word- right, yes, the Fli nest on the earthen parts and- well, you'll see in a minute."

Rose followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS, taking in her surroundings- it was slightly disorientating- the sky, instead of stopping and giving way to the land, just continued. She was surrounded by a vast expanse of blue, grey and white all swirled into the sky above her. It was like being so high in the air that you couldn't see any buildings, and you were level with some of the clouds, Rose decided. Except, she knew that if she walked to the edge of the earth, there would be no ground, miles below, if she looked down.

Maybe she wouldn't do that- Rose thought as she recalled what had happened when she'd stood on the fence back home and looked at the pavement, merely two feet below her. She's ended up with a broken fence and a sore elbow from over-balancing and falling. She hesitated to think what she'd get for looking over _this_ fence.

Nervous at the memory, her hand sought the Doctors- his tightened around hers almost unconsciously, reflectively-as if he hardly realised what he was doing. They looked out together at the other rocks, floating several football fields away, hanging in the empty blue space like a disfigured bubbles, tiny shapes- birds perhaps-gliding around in the air above the rocky growths that almost resembled buildings. The immense vacant space stretching between them and the other rocks; a yawning chasm that stretched out into the universe. Rose opened her mouth to ask what they were going to do, but the Doctor beat her to it.

"Ah! Here we are- didn't think it'd take them too long- look." Rose followed his gesturing finger and gasped.

She couldn't help it- she took an instinctive step backwards as the rapidly increasing shapes drew nearer. She cast a frightened glance at the Doctor, but he just smiled and squeezed her fingers reassuringly. Rose inhaled sharply as the two massive silver giants closed their huge wings and slammed into the ground- sending a tremor beneath Rose's feet- their lethal claws churning the ground, leaving ragged scars as they regained their balance.

"Doctor… are those what I think they are?" Rose whispered as one of the beasts eyed her evilly with a reptilian black eye. The Doctor huffed.

"Whatever you do, please don't call them dragons, Rose." He said- why couldn't he keep his voice down? The noise was attracting the attention of the animals- Rose tugged on his sleeve, but he didn't notice. "Because they're not- they're Vargen."

Rose didn't care what they were called- she barely heard what the Doctor said. Despite her friend's relaxed manner, she couldn't shake the fear from her at the sight of these two huge beasts.

The Vargen were what Rose would have automatically called a dragon; reptilian, huge and horned, it seemed the right category for them. Their scales were a dull silver, though some shined brightly, as if polished; two frighteningly large horns- curled tightly like a rams- sprouted from their heads, and a third grew from the tips of their snouts- the larger of the two had a second, smaller one higher up on its nose too. The creatures looked deadly, and both had a cold predator glint in their eyes- enough to freeze Rose to her very bones where she stood.

"Rose, relax. They won't hurt you." The Doctor's voice broke through the haze of fear, clearing her head enough for Rose to speculate whether the Doctor wanted her dead, or if this was just a mistake- how could these… these _Vargen _not hurt her?

_Foolish human_. Rose jumped as the words reverberated through her mind, making the Doctor laugh. She relaxed her tense muscles ever-so-slightly at the sound. Before Rose could ask, the voices sounded again.

_If we wanted your life, human, we would have taken it before now. _Rose felt reassured by the words- they were true, after all- and her fear gradually melted away.

_We heard your call- we know what you want. _The words held a ring of mockery, and Rose could now discern two voices from the tangles of words- she detected a vague hint of feminine softness to one them and it was this one that spoke again.

_Doctor... _

The smaller of the Vargen padded forward- Rose felt no fear now as the silver creature drew level with the Doctor and touched his forehead with her snout.

_It has been so very long. _The female said- now Rose had studied it, she could see that the creature's body was thinner than the other, its face slender- drawing away slightly. Rose watched as the sunlight glinted of the scales on the creature's neck- now devoid of any fear for the huge lizards, she could appreciate the beauty of them; their eyes held not malice- as she'd previously thought- but an astounding gentleness.

"Oh," The Doctor breathed, falling back on his heels as he stared at the Vargen in front of him. "Kiiri?"

The silver female blinked her deep dark eyes slowly and dipped her head.

_It is gratifying, Time Lord, that you still remember me, after so many centuries. _She hummed. Rose felt a stab of jealously, and then felt instantly silly- why was she jealous in the first place, let alone over a giant _reptile_? She couldn't find the answer, so she let it go. The Doctor, oblivious of her little internal conversation, turned to her.

"Rose, this is Kiiri- a good friend I've know for, well, almost my entire life- Kiiri, my... companion, Rose." He introduced, and Rose felt slightly confused- was she supposed to shake Kiiri's paw?

_A simple nod will suffice, human. _Came the reply- Rose felt slightly unnerved that the she-Vargen could read her mind, but then realised it didn't really matter; she'd had so many other people probing her consciousness, another wouldn't hurt.

_You can feel safe in the knowledge that I do not pry, human_. The female's silver-black eyes glinted and she turned back to the Doctor. _She is your _parabatai_- yes? _

The Doctor's eyes shot to Rose's, and coughed, looking uncomfortable. "Um, no." he said quickly. "_Just_ my friend."

Kiiri sniffed as Rose felt a stab of hurt lance through her chest at the Doctor's words-a feeling she couldn't rightly explain.

_Pity. She would make a good_ Ietia.

"Anyway," the Doctor looked even more uncomfortable, and Rose longed to ask what the strange words meant; they were obviously of the Vargen's native tongue- something she had no knowledge of. She made a mental note to ask her friend later, when they were alone. "Shall we?"

_If you wish. _Came to reply, this time from the previously silent male Vargen in the background. _If you are ready. _The Doctor nodded and turned to Rose, who returned his gaze warily as the two Vargen drew nearer.

"Ready?" He asked, his familiar grin making her relax- without waiting for an answer, he put one hand on either side her waist and lifted her up and onto Kiiri's waiting back- Rose felt a stab of panic and confusion, and she looked over at the Doctor, who was grasping at one of the pale spines on Kiiri's neck, using them to haul himself up behind Rose. The Doctor must've sensed her fright, because he whispered soothingly in her ear.

"It's alright- Kiiri won't let you fall." Rose fought the rising sense of trepidation as realisation dawned on her about what they were about to do.

"Are you trying to give me an early death?" Rose hissed behind her as Kiiri unfolded her slender legs and stood up- Rose could feel the muscles of the she-Vargen's wings rippled in preparation under her hands, and she grasped tightly onto the chain attached to the thick metal band around Kiiri's neck. The Doctor still had a strong hold on her, one arm looped around her stomach and the other slung across her shoulders- he still didn't seem at all nervous about what Rose knew was coming.

"Have you done this before?" She breathed her voice unsteady.

"Of course!" The Doctor laughed. "It's brilliant- used to do this all the time back on Gallifrey- blindfolded."

Rose tried to answer, but at that moment, Kiiri tensed her legs and flung herself into the sky, snatching anything Rose could have said away in the wind.

**A/N: Right people- have done my old trick again- I think it's going to be a recurring incidence. **

**Okay- to all yous out there who know Spanish- you'll probably know then that **_**parabatai**_** means 'closer than brothers.' Well, in this I've sort of tweaked it a bit, so that it is now 'closer than friends.' If anyone knows the Spanish for that, please tell me! Obviously, the Vargen's language isn't Spanish, but I liked the word and the meaning so I though I'd use it anyway… reviews? Possibly?... **


	2. The Elders of Sky 2

**A/N: Part two of my second journey… **

**Thanks to all those who reviewed- lovely people! If I knew who you were I'd mime-hug you. Not really, but it's the gesture that counts… enjoy! **

**Xiea: "Zee-ah". **

**Eruditt- "(lower-case 'e' sound) roo- dit"**

**Kirann- Kih- ran (the 'i' as in 'hit')**

**Two: The Elders of Sky (2) **

Flying on the back of the Vargen was quite possibly, Rose thought as they hurtled along, the single most terrifying and death-guaranteeing thing of her entire life.

The wind roared in her ears, making tears spring to her tightly clenched eyes- she could faintly feel the Doctor's arms around her, the only thing stopping Rose from having a complete heart attack right there on the silver scales of the she-Vargen.

Gradually, though, as the creature she was riding on slowed to a glide, and Rose heartbeat decreased, allowing her head to clear and her thoughts to reassemble them-selves. She felt safe enough, with the Doctor's arms around her and Kiiri swooping gracefully through the air as easily as Rose would breathe- the movements seemed unconscious, instinctive to the she-Vargen, Rose thought as she felt the creature move fluidly underneath her, unhindered by the extra weight she and the Doctor provided. The endless sky slipped by as the Vargen glided towards the settlement perched on the rock that hung, suspended in timeless space, in the distance. It grew ever larger as they drew nearer, the shapes she had seen before revealing themselves to be more of the Vargen; swooping through the infinite sky, their scales glittering like a thousand suns, shining a billion colours that Rose could never have named. In the midst of these reptilian creatures soared beautiful, powder-blue birds with huge trailing tail feathers that fanned behind them like silken ribbons.

"What are they, Doctor?" Rose asked as one fluttered over her head, its tail feathers- that were longer than its own body- brushing her face. The Doctor smiled at her.

"They, Rose Tyler, are the proud race of the Fli." He said, grinning at her. Rose gasped as another one swooped over her head, its tail feathers rustling her hair. The Doctor laughed and pointed at the fast-approaching land.

"Kiiri will drop us off their and we can go into the Temple." The Doctor said, and then giggled. "Ooh, sounded ominous, didn't it? You could almost _hear_ the capital letter!"

Rose shot him a look and snorted. "I think we can get off now, Doctor."

"What? Oh, right." He said, untangling himself from around Rose's waist, swooping lithely from the Vargen's back and holding out his arms to catch her as she jumped.

"Right…" The Doctor muttered, setting his friend down softly on the floor. He looked around, and with a sudden spurt of inspiration, his face lit up and he yelped, pointing in a seemingly random direction.

"This way Tyler!" he crowed, setting off. Rose stared after his receding back blankly, before jolting out of her trance in time to see the tips of his coat tails flick around the corner. She sighed and set off to follow him- but before she could, the Doctor came hurtling around the corner again and barrelled into her.

"Wrong way!" He cried, picking himself up and setting off again, leaving Rose looking dazed in the dirt. "Come come, time's a-flying!"

***

"W-_ow_." Rose murmured, hearing her voice echo hollowly in the empty space. They were in a huge, empty hall; it was dark, save for slitted windows that ringed the very eaves metres above, casting slim segments of light on the floor, so far away. The floor was littered with rubble- smashed stone was strewn upon the marble, like toys thrown from the pram of an angry toddler.

"Yeah, you've got that right, Tyler." The Doctor replied, his voice magnified. He chuckled. "Echo!" He called, smiling like a small child as his voice sounded back at him ten times over. He caught Rose's look and shrugged sheepishly. "I'm a kid, get over it."

**You always were greatly attuned with the child in you, Doctor. **

The words were filled with mild, weary humour. Rose followed the echoes, to where three brass perches were placed at the very end of the hallway, their hunched occupants shrouded in shadow. She felt the Doctor sigh.

"Hello, old friends."

**Greetings Time Lord**. The voices- Rose could discern three possible creatures talking at the same time- said, and then paused; Rose suddenly felt hot, as if piercing eyes were searching her very soul. **And****a companion, it seems**_. _

The Doctor coughed. "This is Rose, a good friend of mine- Rose; these are the Last High Priests of the Skiiee Dynasty. Kirann, Eruditt and Xiea." Rose peered through the darkness, and as her eyes became accustomed to the gloom, was able to make out three, vaguely bird-like shapes, perched atop the brass branches.

**Light is in order, I believe.** Came one of the voices- it seemed to be masculine to Rose. At once, at the beings words, groups of candles that she hadn't noticed before sputtered into life and the darkness receded into the furthest corners, and the beings were revealed.

They were obviously of the Fli race, except… different.

For starters, their feathers were a flawless, bone white- it was an almost unnatural colour, this infinite paleness, as if the feathers had been bleached. They were, Rose decided, a very beautiful race. The longer, silvery-grey feathers that topped their head plumed upwards, like an elegant crown, their long tail-feathers beginning the same, unblemished white of the rest of the body, and darkening from silver-grey, to a smoky colour to a form of light charcoal at the very tips- the feathers were so long, they brushed the floor, a metre and a half below their taloned feet.

**You have changed, Time Lord**_. _The birds- their perches arranged in a triangle shape- looked to the leading bird to speak. This one, in Rose's opinion, seemed the oldest; this one had faint grey streaking its feathers, and his eyes were warm, tired and veiled.

"Yes, Kirann- a fair few times since we last met. As have you, it looks." The Doctor mused, looking at the bird with a critical eye.

The Fli dipped his head in acknowledgement**. Time are hard, child, and I have been denied the rest I need. I'm afraid my health has been affected. **

The Doctor frowned. "By what cause? Are the Fli experiencing… _difficulties?" _

**We are at war, Time Lord, and the children of Sky need us- we are old and tired, yet they continue to run to us like lost children in need of a parenting eye. They forget that everything we know has been passed onto them already. **

"Wisdom is always best from the Wise, not from yourself." The Doctor replied easily, and Rose snorted; her friend acted differently around these strange birds, almost like he was eager to impress them. As one, the ancient Fli trilled- the sound resembling laughter- at his words.

**You have grown much in the centuries that we last met, child**_**. **_A female spoke, her voice sad.**But you carry the air of one who has seen much-too much! Your wisdom is edged with bitterness, Time Lord; it grew****upon you with only sadness to feed it.** The Fli spoke as if she expected no answer- which was well, considering the Doctor's expression remained veiled. Rose looked at her friend, but his face betrayed nothing.

The second female, with sharp emerald eyes- her voice younger than the others- spoke then; **Tales of the mighty Time War were carried across the stars to us, child; and with them came the legends; the fall of Skaro and everything in it- the destruction of the Draala- those metal abominations that felt no compassion or mercy for others, who existed only to destroy. The ultimate victory. **

**But they spoke of the terrible devastation also- the constellations torn apart, incinerated- the mourning cries of the Broken echoing throughout the galaxies, lingering for months afterwards, grieving for the lost souls of the War… and not a whisper of Gallifry. It vanished and with it, the Time Lords. What happened to them, Doctor?**

"Dead." The Doctor answered shortly. "All of them." Silence hung in the thick air, all eyes focused on Rose's friend, until he shook himself roughly and smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes.

"Right! Enough talk of such dark things- I brought Rose here to meet _you_, not talk about long-forgotten pasts."

**A/N: Right, I KNOW this is quite short- but people I am not kidding here; the Sky story was meant to be two chapters long maximum. But because I took pity on you, it's three; come on I can't ask you poor sods to read a chapter that would have been 3444 words long (exactly, and not counting the Author Notes!) because that's just evil… **


	3. The Elders of Sky 3

**A/N: Third and final chapter on Sky… **

**Two: The Elders of Sky (3)**

"That is completely,_ utterly_ illogical." Rose half-shouted in frustration.

**Only to those with the limited eye.** Eruditt- the youngest of the Elders- retorted smugly, ruffling her feathers in satisfaction at Rose's annoyance.

"How can you say that time travel _doesn't_ affect history?" Rose shrieked. "Of course it does!"

"Ah, actually Rose"- the Doctor began, noticed her icy glare, shrugged in response and continued unfazed. "No, hear me out here; if you're thinking in purely hypothetical dimensions then you could say it doesn't; for example- image a man is walking down a street- you got that?"

Rose blinked. "What?"

"The street- let's say a Victorian-era street, with red banners in it"-

**Is a street description relevant to this explanation Doctor? **Xiea interrupted, dipping her head in mild amusement. The Doctor shrugged.

"Not really- but it's amusing me anyway." He sighed and gestured for Rose to sit down. "Riight… back to my amazing explanation of hypothetical time travel! Hmm…"

"Man and a street." Rose ventured, and the Doctor's face lit up.

"Yes! That was it- picture a man- let's call him Fred- walking in a street; and then suddenly another man comes hurtling around a corner, careens- ooh, nice word!- into him and goes sprawling into a road. Seconds later, just as the man is getting up, a car appears and knocks him over, killing him."

"What a _lovely_ story." Rose said sarcastically. The Doctor shot her an annoyed look.

"_Thank you_, Tyler, for that wonderful, essential piece of knowledge. As I was saying… Fred is so distraught by the accident that he travels back in time to prevent the accident and save the man's life.

"Fred travels back to a minute before the accident, and approaches the other man, who is walking down a neighbouring street. This man- who has never seen Fred before and is terrified- runs away in fright. He streaks down a small alley, so scared he doesn't look where he's going- and knocks into a man he doesn't see and then trips over and lands in the road. Moments later, the man is killed as he gets up by a car. See my point? Fred's time travel never affected anything."

"But that's a bit of a red herring incident, isn't it?" Rose argued. "How likely is it that you cause the incident by time travel?"

**Well, if we're are discussing the prerogative here, **Xiea interrupted, clicking her beak elegantly. **Then really the entire discussion is utterly redundant- the strict matter of cause and effect exists only in the subliminal consciousness, Miss Tyler. Time as an existence is structured on red herrings, and needs stimulating nexus causal sanctions to function.**

Rose blinked. "Um… I didn't understand that. Sorry." She added, embarrassed.

Xiea cawed in delight. **Oh, the figments of the human mind! How extraordinarily imperfect! **She spread her wings and flapped several times in apparent joy, before settling down slightly when Kirann shot her a beady-eyed look. **My apologies for my frivolous behaviour , Kirann-elder. **She bowed her head. Rose sniggered. Some even centuries-old wise-birds answered to someone!

The Doctor smiled and leaned closer to Rose. "I'll be right back," He whispered. "There is something I need to do." She nodded, still giggling.

"Dazzle them with your amazing human mind." He winked as he made for the exit, his long legs carrying him quickly over the stone floor, and it was only a matter of seconds before he'd disappeared through the exit archway.

"Anyways," Rose called to the three birds, who simultaneously ceased chattering and looked at her piercingly. She coughed uncomfortably. "Back to the matter at hand? I am sticking with my argument, thanks."

Eruditt, with a casual flick of her wings, leapt off her perch and landed neatly on the floor in front of Rose. Rose took a surprised step backwards- up close, the Fli Elders were taller than she was.

**Silly human.** The Fli said, laughing. **It bemuses me that you cannot see** **the truth- the** **whole matter is a complete, complex circular pattern! The consequences can only exist after the act is completed, and in most cause the consequence **is **the act- the cause and the consequence are identical twins, entwined tighter than you could ever, as a mere human, ever comprehend. **

"Ah, but the act is not necessarily essential to the consequence, is it, Eruditt?" came a cool, female voice. Rose stood frozen for a moment- the voice was so lovely her muscles locked- so textured, so poetic and perfect that it made Rose's ears ache with a passion. She turned to see a woman, about Rose's age, leaning nonchalantly against the inner rim of one of the many archways that ringed the empty, dark hall. The posture was so casual, so like the Doctor that Rose had a sudden shot of double vision- an image of the Doctor over-lapping the one of the woman that she was seeing now. The two seemed so alike, but it wasn't possible. Rose blinked and the vision lapse melted away, until only the mysterious woman remained.

She had blue-black hair that fell to just over her shoulders in loose, inky rings, which contrasted so well with her ice-blue eyes and clear, almost translucent skin.

**My dear Diamond, **Kirann said fondly, and Rose could see human love in his crystal eyes as he looked at the stranger. **You have come back. **The newcomer said nothing, only tipped herself onto her feet and walked closer. Rose shivered as the woman passed her, feeling a shot of something she couldn't name course through her, leaving and icy trail in its wake. At the movement, the woman's head snapped to hers with a speed that proved to Rose that this stranger shared no blood with her- whatever she was, she wasn't human. The woman smiled warmly.

"Hello Rose." She said, nodding sadly at Rose's blank look. "You don't know me yet, Rose Tyler, but you will." The woman blinked slowly, and then smiled again, the act tinged with a stabbing, bitter pain that Rose could only acknowledge. She leant forward and whispered quietly in Rose's ear. "After you live through your death and recover what you so painfully lost, our paths will cross again. I'm so sorry, Rose." The woman spoke her name so mournfully, but behind it was a clear familiarity- this woman _knew _her- but how could she speak to her with such warmth, like they had known each other for years, and Rose couldn't even place such a memorable face?

Before she could recover her voice, the woman straightened and turned to Kirann. "Old friend, I'm afraid our reunion will have too wait- I have some urgent goodbyes that need to be dealt before I continue. Surely we can wait for another few days?" Kirann bowed his head.

**Aye, child, it can wait- indeed, I think it must. **The woman closed her eyes, as if fighting tears.

"I came so close... to find and lose him a second time births a pain that is sharper than anything... how long have you known this would happen?" She whispered her beautiful voice hoarse with a pain so intense Rose could almost feel it.

**Since the dawn of eternity, my child. **Kirann answered sadly. **The channels of Time do not lie to those with the patience to read them- this was for-written long before you were ever born. **

She nodded in resignation, and then the sadness was replaced by a mask so impenetrable that it transformed the woman into somebody different from who Rose had just talked to- the shield was identical to the one the Doctor used.

"I loved him too, Rose." She whispered, without looking at her. "Still do, even though Time as had its revenge and proven to me that no happiness with him is ever infinite. Every story of his ends eventually. Both of ours' did, and will again."

Nothing the woman said made any sense to Rose.

"But who are you?" Rose asked quietly, and the woman's eyes flicked to her. She hesitated, seeming torn by some internal struggle Rose could not fathom, and then, after laborious moments, she leaned forward for the second time and whispered in Rose's ear, so softly she could have imagined the words.

"I'm you, Rose Tyler- only nine centuries older, and so different from you that we are one and the same. You tread in the footsteps I created, and even your pain echoes mine" She murmured. "Now forget what I have said, until we meet again."

And with those words, a colossal blackness descended upon Rose, so quickly that she couldn't stop it, and she fell into the dark abyss that boiled up at the woman's words.

* * *

_Rose. _

She could hear a voice- so distant, miles away- calling to her; so enthralling, enticing, clever; seeping through the hazy fog in her brain and shooting through her lethargic limbs like burst of adrenaline, electricity coursing through her veins, making her jumpy. She _needed _the voice, wanted this person who called to her.

_Rose. _

Get me out- make this oppressing cloak of mist go away, please. _Now!_ Make it stop; she was drowning, choking, stuttering as the mist clogged her throat. _Rose_. _Rose… _Get me out!

"_Doctor get me OUT_!" She shrieked, jerking upwards, gasping. Her vision was clouded, but it cleared almost immediately, and she found she was in the TARDIS, with the warm weight of the Doctor's hand on her face. She groaned and pressed her palms to her eyes.

"Ugh… what happened?" She hissed in pain as the sound shot lances of pain through her head.

"You fainted," The Doctor answered softly, gently pulling her to her feet. She tottered precariously, on the edge of falling, but his arms around her stopped her, and she gradually regained her balance. "But you're okay- swallow these." Rose sluggishly swallowed the small pills he brought to her mouth, and felt her headache drain instantly away, seconds after the dry pills hit her empty stomach.

"Wow. I feel much better- what are they?"

The Doctor smiled. "Medicine from new New Earth- trust me, too complicated to explain." Rose nodded and shook her head to clear it. The Doctor flicked his head.

"Come say goodbye." He said, and slipped through the wooden door- Rose followed, and suddenly she was back in the dark hall that was home to the bizarre Fli Elders. They were perched on their allocated rails again, and inclined their heads as the two approached.

**Greetings, children.** Kirann dipped his head.** Good** **to see you back on** **your feet again, young fledgling.** He blinked sleepily at Rose. **It does me ill to see the young and strong weakened by such things, even for mere minutes. I trust you are returned to good health? **

"Yes." Rose smiled. "Good as new."

"We'd best be off," The Doctor added. "You know the story- places to see, people to be."

**Ah, the ostentatious lifestyles of the young. **Xiea snorted at the Doctor'slook**. Oh, Doctor do not lie to yourself- you are practically a newborn compared to us; and you know this! **

"True… so we'll be gone then." He smiled and turned to Rose. "Come on then." He nodded to Kirann. "Any parting words of wisdom?" He joked, but Xiea tilted her feathered head thoughtfully.

**Plants always have voices, you just can't hear them. And some grow taller than yourself, but are not to be feared, Rose Tyler. **

She frowned, "Huh?" But the Fli said nothing more; they dipped their heads as one, holding their beaks to their chests proudly, and as Rose watched, a flat grey sheen spread over their bodies until none of the former, perfect white remained. Hesitantly, Rose reached out and touched the nearest Elder- gasping at the dead coldness. She turned to the Doctor, horrified.

"Their _stone_." She breathed.

He nodded. "And so they'll remain, sleeping until their children need them again." He nodded at the broken stone at Rose's feet.

"There used to be ten of them- the Ten Elders of Sky, they were called. Until the first of the Cold Wars- ruthless battles throughout the galaxies- left them as the only survivors."

Rose shook her head slowly, lost for words. "How could such a gentle creature be destroyed in such a way? They were_ murdered_ while they slept."

"And the others remained oblivious in their deaf states- they can only be awoken by another of Sky."

"What happens if all of the Fli are killed?" Rose asked. The Doctor looked at her sadly.

"Then they sleep forever- and the legends of Fli die with them."

Rose looked once more at the three immobile birds, who now looked so much like statues, destined forever to reside within the empty halls, unhearing and unmoving.

_Goodbye. _

* * *

Back in the TARDIS, Rose clapped her hands.

"Right! What next?" She grinned.

The Doctor frowned. "Isn't that _my_ line, Tyler?" Rose winked.

"You betcha it is!" she stopped and frowned. "How comes I fainted anyways?"

The Doctor shrugged and fiddled with several controls. "I dunno- what happened before you collapsed?"

Rose thought for a second. "The last thing I remember is Eruditt telling me that the act is the consequence, but it's not always the same thing."

"Nothing else?"

"Nope, that was defiantly the last thing I heard."

"Willing to bet?" The Doctor asked playfully, grinning loonishly as he pulled various controls. Rose nodded, laughing.

"I'd bet my future happiness on it."

**A/N: Sorry about that one being so long- I just couldn't help it… **

**Now, I suppose some of you will have questions- all I say is this; there are some I am allowed to answer (I lay strict rules for myself concerning my writing!) and some I'm not, so word your questions very carefully… now, if any of you would consider reading a certain story that I am PLANNING to write in the next year concerning Rose's little encounter, my only advice would be to remember that line! And to look out for the references in my other stories (they ARE there people!) …**

**Surely this one's worth a review? **


	4. Genria

**A/N: Third adventure, finally! This ones only a two-parter... enjoy!**

**Three: Genria**

**Rose**

I love books- when I was younger I had an aunty who was a librarian. She sometimes took me to the library she worked in, when nobody else was there; I would pour over books about people and places I'd never met for hours, and I never wanted to leave.

I haven't been in a library for such a long time- haven't had the time to sink into a good book; always running around saving everybody, you see. Any spare moment we have, I use for sleeping, so I haven't read anything for such a long time, and I've found that I miss it terribly. I said this to the Doctor, and I knew what he'd do before he did it; he'd smile that gentle smile he's got that he only seems to smile at me- it's a smile of understanding, because he knows just how I feel- and that got me curious; what do Time Lords read? So I asked him, and he said-

"Anything and everything- Tyler." He crowed happily as he was thrown head-first over the console as the room lurched. "Hey, why not?" His demented giggle was slightly muffled as he tried to speak whilst collapsing in an unceremonious heap; Rose laughed and picked him up.

"Why are you so crazy today?"

He chuckled and whizzed over to the console to stabilise the situation like a kid on a sugar-high. "Because, Tyler, a) I haven't been in good old bookland for a very long time, b) I can get a chance to return a book that I haven't got round to taking back for well, let's just say a very long time, and three- no, wait a minute c) Why the hell shouldn't I be crazily happy all the time anyway!"

Rose giggled. "Because it's unhealthy, that's why."

"But bloody fun anyways- live well, die in your mid-millennia, that's what I say, Tyler!" He called as he bounded for the door. "Come on, the books are waiting!"

* * *

The scene that greeted Rose when she stepped out of the TARDIS wrenched her back to her childhood days, when she used to sit in her auntie's attic and sneeze away the hours over huge, dusty volumes that opened up millions of different worlds with ever page. The room she walked into was exactly like that long-ago attic; it was small, but not cramped- with a slanting roof and wide windows slicing the sloping wall into light segments. The floor underfoot was a soft, thick carpet, which was a rich creamy-beige, with tiny flecks of green, grey and red in it, that were so small that you could barely see them. Every wall was divided by row upon row of thick oak shelves that were groaning loudly under the weight of countless books- thick and slender, of every colour under the sun- that were piled upon them haphazardly, three high in some areas.

"I love this place." Rose breathed contently- inhaling the thick, woody scent of the paper, the almost tangible viscousness of the printing oil that was pressed into a trillion pages, telling a story that began the moment you opened the cover. The Doctor smiled.

"Oh, Rose Tyler I love _you_; young people these days just don't appreciate books any more- these E-books are all the rage now, it seems. But you can't beat the smell of books, don't you agree?"

Rose nodded. "It's one of the only things modern technology can't replicate." She smiled at him and looked around again. The tiny room was cosy; Rose yearned to sink into one of the huge red armchairs in the corner, prop her feet up by the fire that crackled in it's neatly swept hearth and just read for hours under the soft glow of the many oil lamps dotted around. The whole scene was just like a dream living room, in Rose's opinion. She turned to the Doctor, questions in her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I know there are easily a thousand books here and this place is lovely, but I thought you said you were taking me to a library?"

The Doctor looked at her incredulously, and then laughed disbelievingly. "Oh, Tyler- you're just brill… come on, let me show you the rest." He shook a finger enticingly at her and wiggled his eyebrows, and then led her through a doorway she hadn't noticed before- it blended in perfectly with the oak walls. The door opened into a passageway with stone walls- the way was lit with more of the oil lamps, set in alcoves gouged from the stone. Under the soft light, Rose could see that the floor was clean, and piles of books- seemingly randomly- had been stacked precariously, waist high, against the wall to Rose's left. After a while, time lost it's meaning, and then there were only the variation in colour of the stacked books to differentiate one second from another- every so often, they would come across a part of corridor in utter chaos- the piles had tipped over and waves of books and papers and scrolls had spilled across the entire floor- they cleared the spillages easily by jumping lightly over them, and after the third time they were forced to do this, the Doctor stopped walking and turned to her, grinning.

"You are going to love this." He said, his voice quick with excitement and expectation; and with a little whoop, the Doctor pulled the door in front of him open and stepped back to allow Rose to admire the view.

* * *

It was beyond anything Rose had ever seen before in her life- even travelling alongside the Doctor had never prepared her for seeing such an endless city of books. It was a city- empty, but not abandoned; the buildings were still cared for, the streets still swept- a sandy-coloured town that was, it seemed, a dumping ground for every person in the universe to leave their books.

It was utterly beautiful, like a painting- the two of them were standing in a circular courtyard, with the roof supported by strands of creamy stone no thicker than Rose's waist, giving her almost unhindered views of the spectacular scenery.

To her right was a small square, with closely gathered buildings over looking it in a semi-circle, leaving one half of it bare to the wide expanse of cream stone and statues and various dipping levels of the city that stretched to the horizon. The entire square was littered with thousands of aged parchments, all of them rolled up neatly and tied with blood- red ribbons. There were so many of them, piles in the glass-less windows, scattered across the cobbles in poetic disarray- it looked to Rose as if they had been dumped hastily; the parchments and scrolls clumped together in the corners like creamy snow.

"Well? What do you reckon?" Rose was too lost for words to answer her friend; she was still trying to comprehend the scene in front of her. To Rose's right lay another courtyard, with a fountain made of the same cream stone, a pale statue of a scholar holding a pile of stone scrolls in its centre. Ahead of her was a set of beige steps leading down to the lower levels of the city, and behind her, flanking the archway that they had just walked through were two alcoves in which spiralling stone staircases were set into, leading up to some balcony or veranda that Rose couldn't see.

"Lovely, isn't it?" The Doctor shot her a grin. "Come on, let's go see Dorothy."

* * *

It turned out that 'Dorothy' was a wizened old lady that manned the counter in an old, book-spattered shop a level below the little courtyard that Rose had had her first view of Genria- she greeted the two with a seemingly customary glare in their direction, before returning to her work. Typical librarian, Rose thought as she watched the woman rearrange one of the endless book selves that ran the entire inside of the room. More of the oil lamps Rose had seen before were propped against or on stacked volumes, dripping a pale, sweet-smelling wax on the covers.

The Doctor gave the room a cursory glance before striding to the desk and propping his elbows upon the desk, smiling confidently.

"Alright over there, my love?" he grinned at the old woman, who scowled and began to climb slowly down the ladder she was clutching.

"Oh, back again are we?" She huffed and dumped the books she was holding on a scratched table already strewn with manuscripts and various random papers. "About time, too."

"Did you miss me, gorgeous?" The Doctor grinned at Dorothy's lined, scowling face and gave her a huge hug, lifting the woman off her feet. He looked at Rose and winked, grinning at her surprised face. Dorothy glared- the expression not quite hiding her smile- and smacked the back of the Doctor's head affectionately as she was set down.

"Watch yourself boy- you may be several hundred years older than you were last time, but you're still eligible for a good smack." Rose was startled into a laugh at the woman's words- the noise drawing Dorothy's attention to her.

"Oh, aye?" She smirked, flicking the Doctor with a dish clothes that Rose hadn't noticed in her hands. "Another one? I don't know…" Dorothy shook her head and frowned, leaning closer to Rose's face. Her eyebrows Rose and she turned back to the Doctor, who had an almost guilty look on his face. "She's human." Dorothy stated, pointing at Rose- Rose sniffed, offended by the older woman's accusing finger, as if being human was a bad thing. Dorothy noticed and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry my dear- I've just never met a friend of his that's human before." She smiled and shot the Doctor a motherly look. "But then again he did abandon me- I treat him like my own son and he buggers off into time and space in his fancy ship for centuries and I get not-a-word!" Rose turned to glare at her friend, who shot her a guilty look.

"It wasn't my fault," he insisted, like a child trying to convince his parents that the vase just _fell out_ the window… "I meant to come back, I really did, but I forgot the time period. Sorry." He added; looking so thoroughly chastised Rose just had to giggle.

Dorothy huffed and then smiled. "No matter my dear. You're here now." She raised an eyebrow. "If my memory is correct- which it is, of course- then you still have something of mine?"

"Ah, yeah!" The Doctor rummaged in his pockets frantically, twirling around on the spot as he tried to free the hand that he'd got stuck in his inner pocket. Rose snorted and caught Dorothy's eye- the older woman shook her head and rolled her eyes as the Doctor, still fumbling in his pockets, stumbled slightly and sailed straight through an open doorway, disappearing with an 'oof!' and an almighty crash.

Dorothy sighed, laughing. "He doesn't change."

* * *

"Here you go Angie- tad late I know." The Doctor said as he dropped a thick volume bound in soft red silk on the table in front of Dorothy's friend, Angie. He grinned loopily at Rose, and she frowned.

"So how late is this book exactly, Doctor?"

The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been meaning to hand that book in for four centuries; just kept forgetting."

"FOUR CENTURIES?" Rose shrieked. "How big is your bloody late fee?"

The Doctor grinned and turned back to the woman, who seemed to think that scowling was the only face she was allowed to express. "Let's find out- how much do I owe you, love?" he asked innocently. Angie glared and poked to the silver machine in front of her. It beeped and a series of numbers flowed across the screen in block green print. "£114, 567. 96." She read, turning back to the Doctor expectantly. "Please."

"Whoa." Rose whispered to herself. The Doctor shot her a half-crazed, half-worried look.

"Well, here's the start." He delved back into his coat and pulled out a pink fluffy purse. He caught Rose's incredulous look. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, trying to keep a straight face. "I just didn't figure you as someone who'd use a, a… pink um, purse." She struggled, desperate for the giggles not to break free. The Doctor shot her a weird look and shrugged. He turned the purse upside down and a mass of silver and copper coins were sent careening in ever direction. "There you go, gorgeous!" he said proudly, pushing the small mountain of

coppers at her. "How much more do I owe you?" Angie swiftly counted the money and scowled again at the alien in front of her. "That's fifty pence." She growled.

The Doctor grinned. "Well, you know what they say- every little helps!" the smile on his face vanished. "Uh-oh." He shot Rose a frightened look as, with a speed no old woman should have possessed, Angie snatched a thick book from the shelf, leapt over the desk with a skill even Rose couldn't have matched and swung it in the Doctor's direction.

"Oi! Watch the hair!" The Doctor yelled as the book narrowly missed his head and swished through his spiky brown hair instead. He gave Rose a quick hug. "It was nice knowing ya Rose, but I think I'm dead!" he yelled and sprinted off, the crazed Angie following right behind him, her complete works of William Shakespeare held high over her head.

**A/N: And if any of you out there care where my planet names come from, notice that Genria sounds a bit like 'genre', and 'Gen' is another word for knowledge- see?! I do some research when it comes to my planet names... reviews? Maybe? **


	5. Genria 2

**Thankyou's to my LOVELY reviewers- especially Sunfall E- haven't had a bad one yet!**

**Sunfall E: Well, you'll be glad to know I've written the whole thing! I'd update more frequently but I have internet problems so only have access to the net about every two weeks! Sorry! And Dorothy just Dorothy really, but I decided to throw in a 'brill' in anyway.... **

**Three: Genria (2)**

"Ow."

"Oh you big girl's blouse." Rose laughed as the Doctor groaned. Dorothy snorted and kept rubbing cream onto the huge bruise on the Doctor's head. "You'd think you were four, not nine-hundred and four." Dorothy said as she dabbed a cloth soaked in witch hazel on the bruise, making the Doctor hiss.

"Don't be such a wuss." Dorothy laughed. "Jasper causes less fuss than this."

The Doctor glared at the old woman from underneath his fringe. "Yeah, but Jasper is a dog and can't talk." He snapped crossly, folding his arms huffily. Rose smiled.

"You'll be fine; the bruise will be gone soon." She soothed.

"Crazy woman…" the Doctor murmured. "Why do you have to employ crazy woman who go bonkers at a late library book and chase people down streets, whacking them over the head with huge books?"

"Hey, Angie is a lovely person- you just have a knack for inspiring the insane side of people." Dorothy laughed. The Doctor looked like he was going to argue, and then realised she was right and shrugged.

"Whatever… you still can't let her get away with it!"

"She's hit you over the head with a book, not committed a murder, Doctor!" Rose laughed. "Sorry…" she tried quickly to smooth her expression as he glared at her, but she didn't quite manage it.

Dorothy frowned and flicked his long hair. "What's this mop about, eh?"

The Doctor glared and crossed his arms huffily. "It's called hair, thank you."

Dorothy sniffed. "It looks like you can't afford scissors."

Rose snorted- Dorothy grinned evilly and put her hands on the Doctor's shoulders, keeping him fixed to the chair. "Anyways I don't care what it's meant to be- it's getting a cut; Rose, you can wander around if you want while I do it." Rose sniggered- the Doctor looked at Dorothy like she'd said she was going to cut his fingers off.

Dorothy smiled. "He can be such a child sometimes!" the two women laughed, and the Doctor sighed.

"I should never have let you two meet each other."

* * * *

"I remember when you were so young, Doctor." Dorothy murmured as she ran her fingers through his damp hair. "You're very different now than when you were then."

The Doctor smiled at her through his hair. "Times changed, Dorothy- I had to go with them." He paused, and added softly. "I never once forgot about you, you know; with ever year that passed I had to force myself not to come back."

Dorothy nodded sadly. "I know- I wish you hadn't taken what I said so much to heart, my dear- I fear the years can never be made up."

"Oh, I'll be livin' a good few more centuries, don't you worry love." The Doctor grinned, but Dorothy only closed her eyes wearily. "It's not you dear who I fear will not see our reunion again."

"Don't say that," The Doctor began, but Dorothy cut him off with a wave.

"I'm not afraid, Doctor- I'm old and have been expecting this for such a long time. I am glad I saw you again, my dear, before Shiria takes me."

The Doctor snorted and stood up. "You and your gods, Dorothy." He smiled faintly. "I'll miss you, old girl."

"Oi, less of the old- I may have many a century under my belt but my backhand slap is still good, or so I've been told." Dorothy threatened. "It's girls like me who need to give mischief's like you a good hiding."

**Rose**

I know it's wrong to listen in on people's conversations from the room next door, but give me smack and call me Judy; I was still going to do it. (Why you'd want to call me Judy I don't know…)

This was the Doctor I was talking about here, people- if I don't eavesdrop I get a censored version on everything that happens to him. Come on, you can't travel with him and not be curious about his life; he never tells me anything, and that just makes it worse.

Anyways, I don't need to justify myself- I was doing it now.

"Oi, less of the old." I heard Dorothy say, and I felt myself smile; the woman was brilliant.

"Oh, you know I don't mean it Dorothy." I heard the Doctor chuckle. "It's a miracle if I mean _anything_ that comes out of my mouth!"

"Yes, I can believe that." Dorothy huffed and I heard her chair scrape as she stood up. There was a pause, and I peered cautiously through the thin crack between the door and the frame. I could just make out Dorothy putting her scissors on the table and stepping back to admire her work. "That seems perfectly level…" she murmured. "Right, I've got something for you before you go back travelling." She turned and reached into a long black cloak draped over a pile of books in the corner.

"This was given to me by a friend of yours several decades ago- she told me to give it to you when I saw you again." Dorothy explained as she handed to slender, rectangular package to the Doctor.

"Who was it?" he asked as he took it. Rose strained to see the package, but could discern nothing; the blue velvet it was wrapped in gave nothing away. Dorothy shook her.

"Sorry, I'm under strict orders not to tell you- time lines and all that."

The Doctor groaned.

"It's at times like these that I really hate the utter complexities of the Infinite Temporal Flux." He moaned. Dorothy smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, I really am." She said. "But she knows what she's doing, Doctor- I can't argue with that." She coughed, as if trying to hide that she'd said too much and leaned forward.

"Listen," she said gently. "Will you do something for me?"

The Doctor looked as puzzled as I felt. "What?"

"Look after Rose." Dorothy answered quietly. "She needs you, Doctor- I can see that in her eyes; you keep her going. Just… keep her safe and close okay?"

The Doctor, for once had no quirky response for Dorothy's request. Rose was slightly unnerved- Dorothy had noticed how much she looked to the Doctor for everything. She was right of course; her whole life revolved around him, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

He nodded and spoke very quietly, and it took her a moment to realise it wasn't Earth-English he was speaking.

"V'ǽn, Dorothy- ģerœ est shru'tΐen vilś con gerįcht Rose. Ўŭ enva ce'l ve ist." The Doctor said solemnly, in what Rose could only guess was Dorothy's native tongue- Genrian? Dorothy nodded in approval.

"I'm glad, Doctor- you need someone to look after, but she also needs to _stop_ you. You haven't changed that much since I last saw you, my dear, and your grief still runs thick in your veins. I know it will take hold of you, sometimes throw you into the darkness- you need someone like Rose to bring you back."

The Doctor held her gaze for a moment defiantly, and when she continued to stare unblinkingly at him for several minutes, lowered his gaze and sighed. "You know me too well, Dorothy."

"I know, my dear; sometimes too well." She smiled softly. "It'll get easier, I promise- it hurts now but it will pass."

I paused in the doorway, breathing slowly. Who was she talking about? The Doctor only nodded.

"You loved her," Dorothy said gently, putting two fingers under the Doctor's chin and forcing him to meet her gaze. "Only time heals a wound like that."

He nodded again silently, and Dorothy said no more; leaving me with only my thoughts raging in my head.

* * *

"Goodbye Dorothy- when do you want these back?" Rose said, holding up the stack of books in her hands. Dorothy smiled.

"Think nothing of it- Genria has millions of copies of every book ever written; we're hardly going to miss five!" the older woman laughed. Rose giggled and turned towards the TARDIS.

"You'd think I'd get tired of seeing that old thing every day- but I never have!"

Dorothy grinned and patted the blue wood. "Lovely thing-never wanted to travel in it though; I have my own methods of time travel." She winked.

"Yeah, one that isn't quite allowed, is it, Dorothy me-dear?" Came the Doctor's voice from inside the TARDIS, and seconds later his head came into view, frowning sternly. "You're lucky I let you get away with everything you do."

Dorothy shrugged. "Me all over! And are you trying to blackmail me?" her words remained light, but Rose detected a hint of threat behind them, the Doctor noticed too.

"You know what, Dorothy?" he replied, matching her tone evenly. "I think I am."

And with a lithe jump to avoid Dorothy's swipe, he disappeared into his beloved –and _safe, _Rose thought with a smile- ship, a rather unDoctorly cackle following.

"Ooh, that boy is going to sail through life on his charms." Dorothy said, shaking her head exasperatedly. Rose smiled, and the older woman snorted. "He's an utter menace- but he's like my own son, in many ways."

Rose noted the faint but solid maternal flicker that appeared in Dorothy's eyes whenever she talked of the Doctor.

"Tell me, Dorothy…" Rose hesitated; did she really have the right to ask Dorothy this about the Doctor? Dorothy tilted her head, curious. Rose swallowed.

"Who… who did he lose?" She asked, hating herself for asking, but knowing that she couldn't ignore the curiosity anymore. "I heard you talking, before…"

Dorothy nodded sadly. "He wouldn't tell you- I think he struggles with it Rose. He needs you, almost too much, I think. You're human, but I don't think he wants you to be."

Rose frowned. What was that supposed to mean? She yearned for Dorothy to explain, but she didn't, only shook her silvery hair out her eyes and turned away, looking out at sprawling city that lay before their feet, stretching away into the distance.

"She was a very good friend to him." She said, so quietly Rose had to strain to hear her. "And her loss hurt him, I think so deeply that he's never recovered, not yet."

Dorothy caught Rose's clueless look. "She was a Time Lord, Rose; the Doctor and her they were closer than I have ever seen people, and her death…." She trailed off and smiled sadly at Rose. "I can see his hasn't forgotten her."

Rose's mind reeled. There was a _she_…. A she that the Doctor hadn't forgotten, a she from his past life, a she that, that…

That Rose _hated_.

Dorothy saw her expression as her anger rose, and she gently took Rose's hands in hers and lifted her chin, forcing her to make eye contact.

"Now listen to me very carefully, Rose." She said, her tone rooting Rose into place. "You are going to have to accept that you are not the first woman the Doctor has ever had in his life- but you are one of the few that he has ever cared about so much. I _know_ this," She whispered fiercely. "I was there when he came to me when he lost everything- _I'm_ the one who saw him at his weakest. And for years he remained like that, until he found you. _You_ dragged him out of the blackness he'd been in, Rose Tyler; _you_ set him straight again. You keep him going and I'll be _damned_ if I let you get worked up over a friend he had seven hundred years ago." Dorothy looked so fierce for an old lady the Rose couldn't help but believe her. She smiled, glad of the woman's words.

Dorothy lips twitched and she pulled the young woman into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you too, Rose, even though I've only just met you! She said quietly in her ear. Rose mumbled back.

"I… gonna miss… too, Dorothy." She replied into Dorothy's jumper, locked tightly into place by the older woman's strong arms. Without warning, the Doctor's voice came drifting through the open door of the TARDIS.

"Have you died out there, Tyler?" He called, making Rose jump. "Hurry up, time's a-waning!"

"You're a Time Lord for heaven's sake!" Rose retorted. "You control time!" there came a spluttering from inside the TARDIS, and seconds later the incredulous face of the Doctor popped into view.

"Err, _excuse me_ Tyler," He said, sniffing snootily. "Nobody controls time; it's all Temporal Flux initiated"-

"Oh you've really set him off now," Dorothy said, making Rose giggle. "He'll be at it for hours!" the Doctor stopped his monologue with a glare in their direction, and with another huff, his head disappeared back into the TARDIS once more, leaving the two woman to explode into laughter.

Once her chuckles had subsides somewhat, Rose straightened and sighed. "Oh, I really am going to miss you, Dorothy. I promise I'll get the Doctor to bring me back someday." Dorothy winked, but Rose could see a faint glimmer of sadness in her eyes. She smiled.

"Dorothy… who was she? The Time Lord, what was her name?" Rose asked hesitantly.

Dorothy looked uncomfortable.

"Well…" She muttered. "Her name was Z"-

"OI! Tyler!" The Doctor shouted, bounding through the TARDIS door and picking Rose up in one easy movement. "That's it, we are leaving!"

"By Kirlai, you are impatient, Doctor!" Dorothy laughed. "But go, it's time you left."

The Doctor smiled as he tugged Rose towards the TARDIS. He paused as Dorothy called again.

"Oh, and Doctor? If you see any Pirri-pirri Pigs"- she winked. "Say hi from me."

**A/N: Well, getting chased by a crazy woman called Angie and threatened with a huge book- only to the Doctor would that ever happen… Reviews? … **

**Right, that's that last bit of Pages and Prophets, and the first chapter of the next one, 'The Mists' will be up tomorrow. Thanks people!**


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